This report is a review and summary of current information regarding test accommodations currently used in different states and districts for English language learners (ELL). Similarities and differences among states regarding ELL accommodation are documented. Five appendixes are included: (1) Accommodations Designated for ELLs in States'…

This manual, "Course Information for the Graduation Program, Grade 10, 11, and 12 Courses: 2009-2010," was approved by the Minister of Education on July 30, 2009 for setting out graduation requirements. The manual provides information for schools about courses that students take in Grades 10, 11, and 12. It is updated annually with…

In 2002, the Council of the Great City Schools evaluated the Dayton Public School System. The Council noted that the district was in crisis, stating bluntly that achievement was low, funding was tenuous, buildings were dilapidated, and the public was looking at its options. The organization proposed a series of major instructional and budgetary…

Weick's theory of sensemaking is used to analyze findings from a qualitative study of the implementation of a district-initiated adolescent intervention literacy course in two urban secondary schools. The authors concluded that implementation of the literacy course was hampered because district administrators, building leaders, teachers, and…

As superintendent, and with the support of this detailed book, board meetings can now be turned into productive, results-getting events that help one focus on teaching, learning, and achieving district goals. The authors, having chaired over 1,000 board meetings among them, discuss: (1) Creating role clarity and building the superintendent-based…

Partnerships between schools, families, and communities provide a support net for each student and play a role in promoting academic success (Epstein, 1995; Shapiro, Ginsberg, & Brown, 2002) and moral development. This article is based on a qualitative study of a secondary school with numerous partnerships selected from a southern Ontario…

Everyone knows that school is supposed to help students become responsible adults, but how can high schools encourage students to accept responsibility for the learning and behaviors that they will need to do so? One answer is School Counts, the work ethic certification program at Arkansas City (KS) High School. Through a partnership with Cowley…

Purpose: This research aims to examine the difference in the availability, adequacy and functionality of physical facilities in centralized and decentralized schools districts, with a view to making appropriate recommendations to stakeholders on the reform programmes in the Nigerian education sector. Design/methodology/approach: Principals,…

To better understand the views of teachers and administrators on the high school dropout problem, focus groups and nationally representative surveys were conducted of high school teachers and principals. A focus group of superintendents and school board members was also included. To help interpret the results, the authors convened a colloquium…

The purpose of this study was to investigate how photograph-based life science multiple-choice items influenced Louisiana science students' performance on statewide standardized tests, in comparison with text-based items about the same content. This mixed methodology research study focused primarily on types of multiple-choice items, specifically…

The Detroit Public Schools (DPS) have been battered by substantial outside forces over the last decade. The school system was taken over by the state; its elected school board was dissolved and replaced by an appointed body; its many operating systems were privatized; its citizenry were encouraged to flee to charter schools; and its resources have…

The purpose of this study was to determine the value of business education at the secondary school level as perceived by three groups of people who have great impact on course offerings, student advisement, and teacher hiring decisions. Specifically, high school counselors, high school principals, and local board of education presidents in a…

This research is part of a comprehensive effort to pinpoint the key leadership factors that improve student achievement and increase the number of high school graduates who are ready for college and careers. In this study, SREB (Southern Regional Education Board) examined the role of the district office in providing principals with the working…

For a number of years there has been a growing recognition of the importance of the school board's role in improving educational programs and services. Evidences of this recognition may be found in the increased citizen interest in school boards, the amount of school administration literature devoted to them, the rapidly growing body of school…

After the quality of a school's teachers, the quality of a school's leaders is the most influential school-based factor affecting student learning, and research indicates that leadership impacts student achievement the most in academic settings serving students who traditionally have not done well in school. In an effort to provide high-quality…